Pathway to Paris: DOs prepare to support athletes in summer Olympic/Paralympic games

Later this month, athletes, coaches and health care professionals from around the world will be in Paris, France, for the Summer Olympic and Paralympic games—and several osteopathic physicians will be among them.

The DO connected with four DOs who are headed to Paris: James M. Lally, DO, an AOA board member and the chief medical officer (CMO) for the International Olympic Committee Medical and Scientific Commission; Alexandra Myers, DO, team physician for the USA Rugby Sevens Women’s and Men’s teams; Naresh Rao, DO, head team physician with the Men’s USA Water Polo team; and Stephanie Aldret, DO, team physician for the Team USA trampolinists. Read about their journeys in sports medicine and their insights on practicing at the Olympics below.

James M. Lally, DO

In Paris, Dr. Lally will serve as CMO for the International Olympic Committee Medical and Scientific Commission. Dr. Lally is a past team physician for the USA Shooting Team and the current chair of the medical committee of the International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF).

Dr. Lally is also CEO of a federally funded health clinic offering health care to underserved populations.

He is attending the Summer Olympics for his eighth time. As the prior team physician for the USA Shooting Team from 1993 until 2023, Dr. Lally enjoys getting to serve at the highest level of athletics.

“Olympians like hands-on medicine,” says Dr. Lally. “They don’t want to be taking medicines, especially during a competition. Over the years, osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) has become a favored modality. I know what I am dealing with and what I have at my disposal.”

Dr. Lally shared that the shooter to watch in the 2024 games is Vincent Hancock. Participating with Team USA, he will be shooting for his fourth gold medal in skeet, which has never been done before. The Indian team will be strong as well, and Manu Bhaker, a pistol shooter, is predicted to do well.

Alexandra Myers, DO

Also attending is Dr. Myers, a family and sports medicine physician in San Diego who will be working as the team physician for the USA Rugby Sevens Women’s and Men’s teams. Dr. Myers has served previously as a team physician for USA Rugby 2020 in Tokyo.

“I work in concert with the team athletic trainer and/or physical therapist,” says Dr. Myers. “My job is to make sure that their health care needs are met.”

To prepare, Dr. Myers spent a lot of time attending U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) meetings to understand the available care in France. She worked hard to get to know the athletes well and to understand their unique needs. She also has kept up to date on all things sports medicine.

“I remember that I am a part of a big team of medical professionals, and it is my job to make sure the athletes receive the best care possible,” says Dr. Myers.

Dr. Myers has been a lifelong fan of the Olympic and Paralympic games. She says her osteopathic training is what allows her to provide top-notch care to the athletes she works with.

“Remembering the body is a unit is one of the most important principles in osteopathic sports medicine,” said Dr. Myers. “I use OMT when needed, but even more importantly, I remember that the athletes are human beings. They are elite athletes for a very intense period of time, but I never forget that someday they will be someone’s mother, father, grandmother, grandfather. They need to be healthy for life.”

Naresh Rao, DO

Dr. Rao will be at the Paris Summer Olympics as the head team physician with the Men’s USA Water Polo team, marking his 15^th year working with the team. Dr. Rao was also recently named to the PanAm Aquatics Medical Committee, a governing body for seven disciplines in aquatic sports in North, Central and South America, for the 2023-27 quadrennial.

“I use osteopathic medicine for all aspects of my care, from the philosophy of a whole-person approach to valuable OMT skills,” says Dr. Rao. “OMT gives me an edge to help the athletes perform at their highest potential. Without osteopathic training from my days at the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine to the present, I firmly believe I would not be in this position.”

Being an Olympic team physician is a true honor, Dr. Rao says, one that is thought to be the pinnacle of a sports physician’s career.

“There is no greater feeling than helping a team qualify for the Olympics,” said Dr. Rao. “In the Olympics, being challenged to adapt and innovate for optimal care and safety is gratifying to say the least. You can prepare for countless hours, but when you are faced with unique challenges, figuring out the solution with the resources available drives me to continue.

“For example, during the Tokyo Olympics, the COVID protocols were strict (a positive test would quarantine any individual, keeping them from participating). Keeping the team safe from COVID through pre-camp in Hawaii, while traveling on planes and every day during competition was a nonstop process.”

Having a good relationship with the athletes and having the resources to provide constant care are two factors that are critically important to successful sports medicine at the Olympic level, Dr. Rao says.

“The most important thing is to have the athletes’ confidence in my abilities and ultimately their trust,” said Dr. Rao. “Working with the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee is also crucial so we can have the resources and support available when at the pool deck, in the Olympic Village, traveling, etc.—24/7 care is necessary.”

Stephanie Aldret, DO

Dr. Aldret will be attending her first Olympic games with the U.S. gymnastics team—she was selected for multiple international assignments with the USOPC for Paralympic events and with USA Gymnastics for Trampoline and Tumbling events, and has previously worked with the Paralympics in South Korea, Japan and China, as well as multiple championship events with the U.S. gymnastics team.

“Every sports medicine physician sees the Olympics and Paralympic Games as an ultimate achievement,” said Dr. Aldret. “I’m excited to attend and support the Team USA Trampolinists—I’ve been able to work with them since 2017 and watch them continue to excel and progress. I’m so excited to watch them compete.”

Dr. Aldret has been attending meetings and trainings with the USOPC and USA Gymnastics to prepare for the events and she is ready to roll with whatever comes her way.

“Applying the osteopathic tenets with approaches to all patient care is necessary, and it’s especially important for athletes,” Dr. Aldret says. “OMT is only one element of my osteopathic training, and I use it, but the approach to the care of the athlete for anything—body, mind and spirit—is the real way to support and be a part of the medical team.

“The medical team is made up of multiple specialties to take care of whatever needs come up for the athletes to help them obtain what they have worked so hard for. I continue to be blessed to be a part of the support for Paralympians and these Olympic Trampolinists.”

Watch the Olympic and Paralympic games in Paris July 26 through Aug. 1.

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